Secret Weapon
by Kat-Hathaway
Summary: This is the story of what the Akatsuki want with Naruto. Sasuke redeems himself, Sakura sticks up for her comrades and Naruto looses it all. Will get very depressing towards the end. No pairings per say. REVISED


SECRET WEAPON

By Kat

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor do I make any money off of this, which means I can do whatever I want to him without worrying about how the fans will take it. BWAHAHAHAH!

A/N

Thank you to my friend for giving me this idea. She had a dream about Naruto, and she called me the next day to tell me about it. 'It would make an awesome fan fiction don't you think?' she said, 'you should write it.' And I have. At first I couldn't, but then with the whole Sasuke/Orochimaru story arch it all fell into place. Unfortunately, I lost part of what I had written, and my friend kept forgetting to return another part until eventually I realised I'd have to rewrite the whole thing anyway because of recent developments in the actual Naruto Manga. So now with Sasuke's admission that Naruto is his best friend, and that he will therefore have to kill him to achieve the Mange Sharingan, I decided I should probably start writing this fic before Naruto actually DOES drag Sasuke home.

Please enjoy, though a note of warning: this is NOT a happy fic. If you want a happy, silly fic, go read my other WIP: 'And You, And You, And You Were There.' If you are okay with mental breakdowns crying and suffering, then please read and review.

-Kat

P.S.

No this is NOT Sasu/Naru. (Maybe some other time XD )

CHAPTER ONE

Sakura had not left the wall beside the main gate to the Hidden Village of the Leaf since Naruto had gone with the others, promising to bring Sasuke back to her. She hadn't moved an inch; somehow feeling that if she stopped watching the distant road the spell of hope would be broken and her comrades would never appear on the horizon. Sakura strained her eyes in the waning light, searching constantly for six figures. Or two, she'd be happy with two, as uncharitable as she felt thinking it.

It had rained a little and the dirt road had become muddy. Sakura hadn't noticed the rain; merely noted the adverse effects travellers would face, taking small comfort in this possible explanation for the delay. Maybe they had taken in the trees. Maybe they were in a stand somewhere eating ramen. Maybe... they were all dead. No, she thought quickly, Naruto wouldn't die. He was too stupid and stubborn to die, and he'd promised...

Down at the end of the road, a smudge of orange had appeared. However, Sakura was so intent on banishing her unpleasant thoughts that she almost missed seeing it.

'Naruto!' she breathed. For the first time of her life, Sakura was supremely glad that that idiot wore such bright colours. Jumping off her perch stupidly happy in her relief, Sakura ran down the road, calling to Naruto.

But, as Sakura came closer, her happiness turned to concern. Naruto looked almost dead. He had never been so ghostly white, his eyes pale in the cloudy twilight; or more pained. He was dragging himself forward step-by-step as if each step was its own internal struggle. When he caught sight of Sakura running towards him he suddenly fell to his knees, still protecting the burden he carried in his arms: Sasuke.

'Naruto!' Sakura gasped as she knelt beside him, 'Wha- what happened?'

'Sakura...' Naruto said in the cautious tone of someone bearing bad news, 'Sakura, I had to.' Naruto nudged the unconscious Sasuke. Looking into Naruto's face for meaning, Sakura saw that his eyes had lost all their look of innocent happiness. They were hurt, wary, and confused.

'What-?' she asked again.

'He- he tried to kill me!' Naruto's voice was shocked, as if the fact had just sunk in, 'The bastard tried to kill me!'

Naruto looked down at the burden in his arms, but for some reason couldn't muster the anger he thought he should feel. Instead he gave Sasuke's pale battle-worn face an almost loving look and muttered 'baka' under his breath. He suddenly looked even more tired.

'Sakura,' he said after a while. The girl jumped she'd probably thought him asleep, 'I, uhh... I don't think I can carry him to the hospital...' Naruto looked up at her, shifting sheepishly with eyes closed in slits and hand at the back of his neck in embarrassment. Sakura just nodded silently and heaved Sasuke over her shoulder. He was much heavier than she, and she staggered a few feet. She turned back to give Naruto a questioning look and found him still kneeling on the ground, giving her that sheepish look.

'Uhhhh... I don't think I can stand either...'

Silently, Sakura knelt down so that Naruto could sling his arm around her shoulder. Slowly and painfully, step by step, they made their way towards the village and the hospital.

'Naruto...?' Sakura asked hesitantly after a while. Turning to look at him, she caught him staring blankly into the distance, eyes troubled and a small frown on his face.

'Huh? What?' he asked, turning his frown on her.

'I, well, do you know why Sasuke wanted...? Why he... tried?'

Naruto's frown deepened as he considered his answer, 'He needed to be ruthless, I think... if he could kill me... he could kill his brother.'

'But...' Sakura objected, shocked at both implications of this, and Naruto's serious, even philosophical tones.

'Everyone has their demons, Sakura, and in the end, everyone has to conquer them. I think Sasuke was trying to conquer his own demons. He thought he could rule them if he killed his brother. But I think what he was actually doing was let his demons rule him.'

Sakura stared at Naruto in silence. Had he always had this insight? Had it been there unnoticed? Or had his fight with Sasuke been such an ordeal that it had aged him beyond his years?

Naruto sighed suddenly and turned his head to look at her, smiling.

'Ahhh... I don't know what I'm talking about, Sakura-chan; I must be really tired.'

A/N

Okay, I was going to make this chapter longer, but I really wanted to get it up soon, and I knew if I stopped writing now I wouldn't finish for another week. The next chapter should be longer, and with more action. Itachi comes on the scene and Sakura gets to do some fighting and the proper plot begins. Please review, because even ONE review will motivate me to keep writing. Please try not to flame, because I get very attached to my work... Constructive criticism, given in the proper criticism sandwich format (positive comment/ negative comments / positive comment) will be very much appreciated.

Ta.

Kat


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